The Ultimate Guide on How to Cook Black Rice Like A Pro

I discovered my love for rice during my trip to different Asian countries. During those visits, I have come to understand the fact that some dishes are best served with rice (I am referring to roasted duck and white chicken). But in those countries, rice typically means white rice (you know the unhealthy, carb-filled rice) and I always feel guilty whenever I crave for it.

That is why I tried looking for a healthier alternative—the black rice. This type of rice contains low calories and contains high amounts of phytonutrients and is considered to be a good source of fiber.

To know more about the nutritional information of black rice, please watch this video:

Initially, I don’t know how to cook black rice. But since my cravings for rice become stronger and stronger each day, I tried to find ways on how to do it, and I will share my discoveries with you below:

What You Will Need:

Regardless of what method you will use, you will need a cup of black rice. You may also need the following items for each process:

Method #1:

Rice Cooker

1 ¾ cups of water

Add salt to taste

Mesh Sieve

Method #2:

Pressure Cooker

1 ¼ cups of water

¼ teaspoon of salt

1 ½ teaspoon of oil

Method #3:

Small pot (with cover)

1 ½ cups of water

How to Cook Black Rice in Three Different Ways

There are three ways on how I cook black rice. Each method varies in the amount of water and type of cooking equipment used.

Cooking Method #1: In the Rice Cooker

If you have a rice cooker at home (not many Westerners do), this method is recommended as it is the most hassle-free method of cooking black rice. If you don’t have one, you can proceed with doing the other two ways listed in this article.

This method takes about 20 to 30 minutes and will not require much supervision.

Step 1. Prepare the rice.

Place the rice in a bowl. Afterward, fill it with water until the rice is fully covered. Using your hands, mix the rice around. The water will take on a purple color—don’t worry, that is normal.

Pass the rice through a mesh sieve to drain the water. Repeat the entire step for 4 more times.

Pro Tip: If available, use a bowl made of glass or metal to avoid unwanted stains.

Step 2. Cook the rice.

Transfer the rice to the bowl of the rice cooker. Add 1 ¾ cups of water for each cup of black rice you will cook.

If your rice cooker has a brown rice mode, set it to that mode. If none, you can set the timer to 25 minutes. Cover it with a lid.

When the alarm goes off, pick up the lid to release the excess steam.

Cooking Method #2: In the Pressure Cooker

If you do not have a rice cooker at home, you can use a pressure cooker instead. This is equally as time saving and convenient as cooking rice in the rice cooker.

Step 1. Place all ingredients in the pressure cooker.

Place the rice, water, salt and oil in the bowl of the pressure cooker.

Step 2. Cook the rice.

Make sure to lock the lid in. Afterwards, select the High-Pressure Mode and set the timer to 22 minutes.

When you hear the beep sounds, turn off the pressure cooker. Allow the natural pressure to release for about 10 minutes. After that, set the pressure cooker to quick pressure release mode to dispel any remaining pressure.

Once the valve drops, remove the lid. Tilt the lid away from you to avoid accidents.

Step 3. Serve.

Use a fork to fluff the rice and serve with your side dish of choice.

Cooking Method #3: In the Stove

If you don’t have both cooking equipment at home (rice and pressure cooker), this is the best alternative for you. However, this may take about 55 minutes and may require lots of supervision.

In addition to that, it will be more difficult for you to control the heat which may lead to the crisping of the bottom part of the rice.

Step 1. Prepare the rice.

Place the rice in a small pot. Cover the rice with cold water. Let it soak for about 10 minutes.

Slowly tilt the pot into the sink to drain the water. Be careful to avoid losing too many grains. It is okay if some water to be left inside the container.

After that, add 1 ½ cup of water for every cup of black rice you will cook.

Step 2. Cook the rice.

Cover the pot. Let it cook over medium-high heat for 30 minutes.

After the 30-minute mark, turn off the heat but keep the lid on to continue cooking the rice for about 10 minutes.

Pro Tip: You can occasionally fluff the rice with a fork. Doing so can help prevent the rice from sticking at the bottom of the pot.

Step 3. Serve.

After the 10-minute mark, use an oven mitt to hold the pot and remove the rice from the pot to avoid further cooking.

Serve the rice with the main dish of your choice. Make sure to serve the rice hot to achieve the best results.

Conclusion

Let’s face it—there are plenty of dishes that are best eaten with rice. Throughout the years, I have discovered that we should not deprive ourselves of these incredibly tasting meals just because it requires the use of the unhealthy white rice. This is most especially true now that there are now plenty of available healthier alternatives in the market—one of which is the black rice.

Aside from the high nutritional value of the black rice, one more thing that I liked about it is that it is very easy to cook. Just simply follow the steps on how to cook black rice mentioned above, and you are good to go!

My name is Sabrina. I’m a total foodie and a wanderlust-driven traveler. Throughout my travels, I’ve been able to taste many cultures and curate a ton of recipes! I truly hope you enjoy the recipes I’ve been able to enlighten you with through the power of blogging.